


Made in Pairs

by DaniJayNel



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Day 5, F/F, yumikuri week 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2017-09-23
Packaged: 2019-01-04 11:48:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12168279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaniJayNel/pseuds/DaniJayNel
Summary: “I’ve been so angry for so long,” she admitted. “Because I was convinced I was unlovable. But here you are…” She paused for a long while.“Your soulmate,” Historia ended.“My soulmate,” Ymir echoed. She smiled.XxXIn a world where soulmates are everything, Ymir is scared that she's unlovable, unwanted. Until she meets Historia. Until they imprint. Until they find each other, as the soulmates that they are.





	Made in Pairs

Ymir thought that their society as a whole was dumb. They built this entire intricate culture around the notion of soulmates. Everyone and their great aunt were talking about soulmates, thinking about soulmates, and obsessing over their soulmate if they’d found them. Obviously, Ymir hadn’t. She thought it was stupid. There was no way she would let herself get so obsessed over someone. Some people said that it wasn’t a choice at all, that when they met their soulmate they would imprint instantly and their entire life would then revolve around them.

How fucked up was that? Where was the freedom? What if she didn’t like her soulmate? And who the fuck was even out there deciding these things? Zeus? Just trying to make sense of it made Ymir’s head hurt.

“Ymir, do you need to take a shit?”

She looked up and glared at Sasha over the table. “I’m just lost in thought.”

Sasha rolled her eyes. “You get lost in your head on a regular basis.”

Ymir looked away and elected to fully ignore Sasha. Going out with her friends always made her uncomfortable. Why? They were all imprinted couples. Nanaba had Petra and the two were disgustingly mushy, while Sasha had Ilse and Mikasa had Annie. At least the latter two were a lot more subtle about it and didn’t outright make out in public or cry about each other, also in public, like some people did. Ymir felt like the goddamn seventh wheel.

“Are you okay?” Nanaba asked her carefully, like Ymir was some timid animal that would scare and run away from the slightest sound.

“I’m fine,” she shot back. “Why does everyone think something is wrong?”

“Because of your face,” Ilse told her. “You look like someone just died.”

Ymir had had enough. “I’m going home.” She stood abruptly, not caring when her chair scraped hard on the floor and nearly toppled over, garnering the attention of everyone in the café. “Just tell me how it goes.”

“Ymir, wait!” Nanaba called out. “My cousin is on her way. I really want you to meet her!”

Ymir just ignored her and left the shop. People like them, they didn’t understand. They were so oblivious to everyone else around them, only concerned with their soulmates and their happiness. Ymir was tired of it. So what if she hadn’t found her soulmate yet? Part of her even suspected that she was one of the rare ones that didn’t have one. That lived their whole lives searching but never finding, eventually dying alone and miserable. Well Ymir refused to let it control her life. She was her own person, she was—

The rhythm of her heartbeat suddenly changed into something slower, sadder and something that wasn’t her own. It made her pause in her hurried steps, made her take stock of the people around her, look up, search, breath stuck in her throat—and she saw her.

Ymir’s entire world suddenly narrowed into single point. The crowds and the noise all died away to a soft, peaceful nothing. Ymir had never felt such a sense of calm overtake her before, but it was all consuming and she didn’t stop it. She welcomed it.

This was… this was coming home.

XxX

The tears were streaking down her cheeks and there was nothing she could do to stop them. It _hurt._ It wasn’t the worst pain she had ever felt, but it was enough to make Historia’s careful control over her own emotions break for just a moment. She wasn’t even sure why she was so upset over this, after all, it was always expected.

Her girlfriend had just broken up with her, literally just as she climbed in her car. It was by text. How personal and brave. Historia wasn’t particularly sad that her girlfriend was gone, but it left her with a deep, profound sense of emptiness, one that she often tried to escape by dating various other single people who had yet to meet their soulmates. But of course, the second that they did, they would drop her so hard and so fast that she got whiplash. In the beginning it had been difficult. As shallow as the feelings were, she had cared about them, so to be dumped so easily always, always hurt.

It was a bit embarrassing to walk on this busy street while she cried, but something inside of her had just cracked and the wall she had built went crumbling. She tried to stop the tears, the awful, soft sobs leaving her mouth, but she had no control.

And then she crossed the bridge and she felt her heartbeat speed up, gain weight. It stopped her tears in their tracks and forced her to pause where she stood and stare forward, eyes wide. She was searching for something—what?—anything. And then she saw her at the other end of the bridge, standing just as still and staring straight at her with wide, shocked eyes.

Historia didn’t know who this person was, but she felt compelled to walk forward, to meet her, to know her. Her heartbeat continued to quicken until she felt almost dizzy. Peace and happiness draped over her like a warm blanket on a cold day. When Historia paused in front of her, the woman still hadn’t moved an inch, but she looked like she wanted to. Why did she feel like she knew her? Was this… was this really…?

“Hi,” Historia greeted softly. The woman inhaled sharply. “Can I touch you?”

She knew what that meant, what Historia was suggesting, offering. Her mouth opened but no words came out. She looked so stricken that Historia grew concerned.

“I, um…” She swallowed. Her eyes darted to the ground, back up again. She seemed to notice the tears on Historia’s face then, because her brows furrowed and her eyes filled with concern. “What happened?” She lifted a hand. Before Historia could answer her, the woman swiped a thumb over her cheek to clear a stray tear. The second their skin touched, though, their hearts and minds exploded with feelings and memories. In an instant Historia knew everything that was Ymir, everything that she’d felt and thought and experienced. Her heart ached and rejoiced and fresh tears gathered in her eyes.

When the imprinting was complete, they merely stared at each other in equal wonder. Ymir smiled then and stepped closer. “Hey,” she greeted gently, like they’d known each other for years. “I found you.”

Historia sniffled. “You mean _I_ found you.” She dove forward and wrapped her arms around Ymir’s neck, pulling her down into a fierce hug. “Is this what they feel?” she wondered aloud.

“I guess so,” Ymir responded in her ear. Historia flushed lightly when she realized she had spoken her thoughts, but Ymir merely chuckled and clutched her tighter. “I’ve been so angry for so long,” she admitted. “Because I was convinced I was unlovable. But here you are…” She paused for a long while.

“Your soulmate,” Historia ended. The words almost tingled on her tongue. She pulled away long enough to look Ymir in the face. She really felt like she knew her, like she had been beside Ymir since birth. There was no question left unanswered, no aspect of Ymir that she didn’t know. Maybe that was weird. Maybe in some capacity she should have felt awkward embracing a stranger like this, but their souls were mirrors, two sides to the same coin. The way their universe worked, souls were made in pairs. Historia had finally found hers.

“My soulmate,” Ymir echoed. She smiled, but it turned into a slight frown. “I’m sorry she left you,” she said. “I can’t imagine having so many breakups.”

Historia shook her head, grinning. “It doesn’t matter now. Nothing hurts. I don’t care, because I’ve found you, and all these holes are filled.”

Ymir snorted, just as Historia expected her to. It was ungraceful and to some unattractive, but it was something Historia found endearing. Her chest warmed and love swelled within her. She pulled Ymir’s face down to her own and kissed her. Ymir almost fell into the kiss, like she had been starving for it—and she had, Historia knew that. They kissed desperately like it was their first and last. People merely walked around them, none caring about the physical intimacy in such a public place. Soulmates often found each other in public places, and everyone knew that no one could resist the pull of the imprint.

Ymir pulled away from her with stars in her eyes. “They’re waiting for you, Historia.”

She shivered at the way Ymir said her name. “Oh my god, they’re all going to freak out. That you’re my soulmate. Why did we never meet before? I kept meaning to fly down to visit Nanaba, but life just got in the way.”

Ymir took her hand and slipped their fingers together. “None of that matters anymore. We’re together now.”

Historia tightened her hand. “I guess we have to decide what to do now, huh?”

They started walking, Ymir looking forward. “I’ll move down to Sina. I can get a job there easily, and it’s not like I have any family here.”

Historia’s heart soared. “You’d do that for me? Just like that?”

Ymir smiled. “I’d do anything for you.”

Now Historia was the one snorting. “You’re such a romantic, aren’t you?”

Ymir’s cheeks reddened slightly. “Don’t pretend like you don’t like it.”

“Oh, I do.”

They continued walking back towards the café Ymir had stormed from, where their group of friends were still waiting, tightly holding hands. Historia felt full and satisfied and like suddenly the world made sense. She had always been fine on her own—with a slight sense that she was missing something—but now she felt more than fine, fantastic even. Whatever shit was thrown at her now, she could deal with it without blinking. She felt reborn. Maybe that was what it was. Separately, they were different, but together they were changed.

The bell above the door jingled when Ymir pushed it open. Nanaba was the first to glance in their direction, and when she noticed their linked hands her eyes nearly fell out of her head. Everyone else noticed her reaction and turned quickly to see what was so shocking, and they all reacted the same. Ymir was scowling at them, but Historia could tell that it wasn’t genuine. Ymir was happy.

“Oh my god,” Sasha yelled, leaping from her seat. “Tell me it happened!”

Ymir stared her down and Historia watched, waiting to see what she would say. Eventually she just smiled and grinned. She wrapped an arm around Historia’s shoulders. “It happened,” she confirmed.

Sasha pretended to fall over. Nanaba was up in an instant, fretting over Historia’s tear stained cheeks and asking for all of the details. Historia didn’t mind it.

After all, she’d finally found her soulmate.

  


End file.
